Rock
Brandon Flowers says rock is 'almost dying'
Brandon Flowers says rock music is “almost dying”, insisting we’re now living in a “post‑rock world” as he hints at a second country album.
Brandon Flowers has claimed rock music is fading fast, declaring that we are now living in a “post‑rock world”.
The Killers frontman, 45, has shifted into country territory on his latest solo album Thrasher, and says the genre that shaped his career is no longer in a strong place.
Asked by Pollstar whether rock is healthier now than when he started out, Flowers replied: “No. It’s almost dying. We’re living in a post‑rock world. I don’t think it’s going to ever die, but we’re past it. You talk about how easy it is - I think it’s too easy to make content and to make music, and there’s just not enough self‑reflection going on or enough growth happening before we’re trying to put ourselves out there.”
He continued: “You’ve got to hone what you’re doing and make sure that it’s good enough, get out there and play, and know what it feels like to have something be great or have something suck instead of just releasing things.”
Flowers also teased that Thrasher won’t be his only country project: “There’s a follow‑up record. We made two records in Nashville. We’re putting the feelers out there and doing these shows and seeing how they go. It’s just taking it one day at a time.”
The debate over whether rock is “dead” has rumbled on for decades. Last year, Yungblud pushed back after Howard Stern declared the genre had run its course. Appearing on The Howard Stern Show, Stern said: “I’ve been feeling lately like rock is dead, you know? And it makes me sad because I love rock and roll music.”
Yungblud disagreed, arguing the genre remains vibrant.
He said: “Rock music is so brilliant, and it gets its flowers in hindsight because it’s such a sacred genre." He added that nostalgia often fuels the belief that modern rock lacks impact.
He explained: “Every dad says, ‘I don’t like that band. It sounds like a band that they knew as a kid.’ You know what I mean? Every dad says to his kid, ‘I don’t like that. That sounds like what I knew.’ It always happens.”
The 29‑year‑old musician also rejected the idea that one artist must “save” rock, insisting the genre thrives through evolution rather than a single figurehead.
